The Society for Threatened Peoples (STP) deplores the ongoing violence and impunity in Darfur, Western Sudan. "Ten years after the intervention of the International Criminal Court, there is still no justice for victims of rape, of arbitrary arrests, torture and expulsion," criticized Ulrich Delius, the STP's Africa-consultant in Göttingen on Wednesday. "Now, militias that terrorize the civilian population by order of the Sudanese intelligence agencies were even legalized." In 2014, a total number of 430,000 people were forced to flee. At least 41,000 Darfuris had to leave their villages since December 2014 – and many of them sought protection in refugee camps in Sudan and the neighboring countries. At least 45 Darfuris drowned near the Libyan coast on Tuesday, when they tried to escape to Europe in an unseaworthy boat.

On March 31, 2005, the UN Security Council adopted Resolution 1593 (at the instigation of Germany) according to which the International Criminal Court (ICC) should take legal measures to fight crimes against humanity and other serious human rights violations. This was due to the fact that perpetrators were not prosecuted in Darfur at that time. "To this date, the government of Sudan is not really willing to solve crimes committed in Darfur and to prosecute those who are responsible," said Delius. At a meeting of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva last week, Esameldin Abdelgader, the Sudanese Undersecretary of Justice, denied that a gang rape had taken place in Darfur in October 2014 – although the case was documented by Human Rights Watch. Apparently, the "Special Prosecutor for Crimes in Darfur" (who reports to the Sudanese government) did not find any reliable evidence of human rights violations when he questioned the local population.

On December 12, 2014, the chief prosecutor of the ICC, Fatou Bensouda, had announced to suspend all investigations into war crimes in Darfur, since the UN Security Council did not offer enough support concerning the enforcement of arrest warrants against Sudan's President Omar Hassan al Bashir and other defendants. On Monday, the ICC announced to inform the Security Council about the fact that Sudan is not willing to cooperate on the issue of arresting President Bashir.

Twelve years after the genocide in Darfur, there are still 2.55 million people on the run from human rights violations in five provinces. Around 4.4 million people are dependent on food aid from abroad. More than 5,000 villages were destroyed. Because the humanitarian work of the authorities is impeded, there are currently only 5,540 international aid workers – in comparison to 17,700 in 2005. "But the need for help has not become less than it was back then," said Delius.

Header Photo: United Nations Photo/Flickr